Platinum Blonde Were Huge In Canada

Okay so I'm a huge fan of the Canadian rock band Platinum Blonde. But something like this didn't happen over night.

I think for me the thing that happened is that when I was 9 years old they were the biggest thing since sliced cheese and yes I know that people say "bigger than sliced bread" but you eat what you like and I'll eat what I like.

Anyways Platinum Blonde started out as a Police cover band meaning that they sang Police songs until Mark Holmes actively got into song writting. Sony Music Entertainment Canada saw that they were going to be a sure thing and they released Standing In The Dark in March of 1984.

Often times Platinum Blonde were labeled "The Canadian Duran Duran" which bugged them I'm sure. But every year and with every new lineup change the platinum blonde boys proved that they were more than just a quartet of pretty frat boys with instruments. They had something that they needed to prove to themselves and their critics.

No Regrets/Hey Hey You 1981

Message In A Bottle Police Cover

Platinum Blonde Back In The Day

Platinum Blonde back in the 1980s was what The Beatles were like in the 1960s and 1970s. Just a fun time Canadian band with a lot to offer the world. But all of Platinum Blonde's success wasn't a cake walk. Platinum Blonde worked hard and went through numerous line up changes to make the band as perfect as Mark could get it.

And with the addition of a fourth member Kenny MacLean, 1956-2008, made the band that much more perfect.

March 22, 1984 Mark and company signed to Sony and got to work on their first which was released that year.

Before the trio knew what was happening the band had become a gimick designed to enthrall the 11-16 year old set and make their mothers like them too. And when you've got all of the money in the world sometimes you can be an asshole.

Standing In The Dark Released March 1984

Not In Love Filmed at Nathan Philip Square

Platinum Blonde Live at Nathan Philip Square

May 1984. Platinum Blonde performs live at Nathan Philip Square in Toronto as a part of a 1050 Chum radio promotion.

Platinum Blonde's promoters and managers suggested that only 15,000 fans would show up but unbeknownst to everyone who was involved in this concert 25,000-30,000 fans showed up and resulted in 40 fans with injuries like bruised ribs and heat exhaustion.

Doesn't Really Matter

The Story Behind Doesn't Really Matter

The story of Doesn't Really Matter happened when Mark started on his way home from his homeland Mansfield, England, UK to the airport in Gatwick.

He was on his way back to the airport when there were kids playing with bombs in the street and all of a sudden a bomb went off in front of his car and the police wouldn't let him leave until the next day.

Standing In The Dark

A song about a neuclear post war apocolypse and everyone was afraid of it.

Systems red

we switch to overload

Defcon 5

we're ready to explode
you think we're humble
we take no prisoners
you drop that bomb
they'll be no prisioners.

Standing In The Dark

A New Member Added In 1985

Platinum Blonde needed to add a fourth member of the band and thus the addition of Kenny MacLean in 1985 was done after Chris Steffler did much persauding.

The band became a four piece band with Kenny on the bass and that left Mark free to do the leads.

Platinum Blonde added a fourth member in Kenny MacLean on the bass pictured right. Mark Holmes pictured centre was left to sing leads.

Music Videos from Alien Shores

It's OUR ALIEN SHORES!!!

Alien Shores which was Platinum Blonde's 2nd full length album was released in January 1985 and was Kenny MacLean's debut as the band's new bass player.

Having Kenny on the bass left Mark Holmes free to do the lead vocals.

Alien Shores Released 01/01/1985

Crying Over You #1 RPM Singles Charts 09/07/1985

Situation Critical

Somebody Somewhere

Chris Steffler Quits and Sascha Tukatsch Is In.

In 1986 Chris Steffler left the band due to differences in the band. And thus the 6 ft 4 in austrian beauty Sascha Tukatsch, far left. took over on the drums

The Sascha Tukatsch Years 1986-1991

When Chris Steffler left the band in 1986 Mark asked the band's young drum tech, a man by the name of Sascha Tukatsch, if he wanted to play with them and the rest as they say is history.

Contact Tittle Track

If You Go This Time A Charity Single and Concert For A Teenaged Cancer Patient

Granting Mary Louise Her Wish

The Make A Wish Foundation granted 16 year old "Mary Louise", which wasn't her real name, a girl with cancer her wish to meet Platinum Blonde and to have If You Go This Time sang just to her.

The song was released as a charity single in 1988 but sadly in 1997 Mary Louise lost her battle with cancer.

The Blondes And The Break Up

Platinum Blonde's final album under the name The Blondes. What a horror show this album was. Mark apparently was embarrassed to have anything to do with it.

Yeah Yeah Yeah The Video Horror Show

Where to begin with this one? Apparently a name change wasn't enough to save the band and I think this was the reason why the Blondes went poof. And proof that the way that the Blondes were going it seems that they were doomed by the start of the 1990s.

I think that when you over use your last chance at being famous is the reason why it's best that you quit while you're ahead and that's exactly what Platinum Blonde did and it would be more than 20 years later when PB would re-emerge with a new band and Mark having more control over the band's name and image.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Video Horror Show

1999 A New Band

Platinum Blonde returned for a brief period in 1999-2000 with Mark, Sascha Tukatasch on the drums, and David Barrett on the lead guitar.

The new band did a small club tour to no avail.

Vertigo Days

The Vertigo Days with Mark, David Barrett, and Sascha Tukatsch.

Vertigo aka Platinum Blonde 1999

In 1999 Platinum Blonde was back with a greatest hits package called "7 Year Itch 1982-1989." This tour included David Barrett on Guitar and Sascha Tukatsch on drums and was a club tour but most fans were disinterested in the band and they broke up again.

Mark Holmes aka DJ MRK

Mark Holmes known to the under 25 crowd as DJ MRK spins at Mark's Mod Club Theatre on College Street in Toronto

DJ MRK The Mod Club Theatre

Mark and his good friend Bobbi Guy spent several years and opened up the Mod Club Theatre on College Street in Toronto in 2002. In 2012 the Mod Club celebrated 10 years in its location.

Mark is known to the club kids as DJ MRK but I knew who he was the minute I saw him.

Mark can still be seen spinning discs at the Mod Club whenever he's not with the band but that's a rarity.

Mark Holmes aka DJ MRK

Welcome To Toronto Baby!

Kenny MacLean Solo Success 1990-2008

Kenny enjoyed a successful solo career from 1990 until his untimely passing in 2008

Kenny MacLean's solo success allowed him to be creative and help out starting musicians with producing, writting, and even allowing them to sing with him on stage. :)

Kenny's Solo Success and Untimely Passing

After Platinum Blonde debunct Kenny released a string of successful solo albums. But after a time he had begun to bug Mark Holmes into getting the back together to "finish band business that had been left unfinished."

Finally in 2008 after many years of pesturing and being a really big pain in the neck about it Mark finally caved in and agreed to get the band back together and rolling. Mark's only condition was that the band release new music otherwise he refused to reunite with the band.

On Monday November 24, 2008 Kenny's sister went to his apartment and found him collapsed and unresponsive in his recording studio bathroom. Kenny had been in his apartment all weekend and was clutching a tooth brush in his hand and had his bathroom sink tap running.

Mark called the news of his friend and bandmate's passing devastating to the band because they had planned to come to rehearsals that day.

Don't Look Back 1990 Kenny MacLean Solo

Rescue Me 1990 Kenny MacLean Solo

In Pieces 1995 Kenny MacLean Solo

The Pain Of Losing Kenny MacLean

Thank You Unreleased Track

Thank You The Unreleased Track

5 years after his demise Kenny's family released Thank You from the unreleased album Straight From The Heart.

Sergio Galli Returns To Music With The Ending

Sergio Galli, second from the left, put out a new side project called The Ending and a new album.

The Ending And Sergio Galli's Return To Music

After Sergio left Platinum Blonde he tried to re-enroll in the University of Toronto School of Architecture but to no avail because he had been rejected by every school he applied to. Undeterred by this Sergio put his knowledge of building and design into it and started up his own buissness in Mississauga.

But after a while Sergio got the fever to get into music again and he started his own band called The Ending in 2008 and he started the search for a lead singer and ran into Jesse Stull and thus The Ending was born and at age 49 Sergio Galli was rocking out with the young guys.

However, The Ending broke up in 2012 after Sergio returned to Platinum Blonde and Jesse returned to his band Up Yer Kilt. I have no idea what the name of that band means?

Freakshow by The Ending 2009

Follow by The Ending 2009

Chris Steffler: You Name It; He's Done It

After departing from Platinum Blonde Chris has done everything from working at Long and MacQuade as a drum instructor, playing landlord to a worthless house, and even owned his own restaurant Twiggy's located across from the former Chum-City building

Where Is Chris Steffler Now?

Chris was involved in the band in 2008 when the band played a free concert at the Mod Club to raise money for a music scholarship in Kenny's name.

Chris did return to Platinum Blonde for a brief period in 2010 when the band was inducted in to the Candian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame in 2010 but then he received devastating news that he had been afflicted with really bad tinnittus which would prevent him from ever playing again with the band.

After receiving the news that Chris would never play for the band again the band recruited Dan Todd to take over the sticks for Steffler.

On The Drums Mr Chris "Motherfucking" Steffler

Platinum Blonde 2012

Platinum Blonde 2012

After Kenny MacLean's unfortunate demise a young bass player and producer named Robert "Rob" Laidlaw took over. Although Platinum Blonde would never be the same again Mark thought that he would give it a try.

But Kenny's demise brought about the surviving band member's desire to avoid recording. Especially with Mark with whom Kenny was the closest to.

Out of frustration Rob stated to Mark that he had booked some time in the studio and he didn't want anymore excuses for the band as a whole to avoid recording.

Beautiful 2012 Directed by Jesse Mann

Valentine 2012 video directed by Michael Penney

Valentine Video #2

Sink Or Swim From Sympathy Orchestra Release Date TBA

Last year I had the pleasure of going to see PB in Markham Ontario where they played a brand new song from their yet to be released disc "Sympathy Orchestra" which will be released sometime in 2017.